Makeup On the Go

I don’t know about you, but I am not a morning person. No amount of beauty products can get me to willingly wake up before 10am. I mean, I once got up early to go to a Nordstrom Beauty Trend Show, but that’s about the extent of it, haha. 

My point is, my typical early morning routine tends to be pretty minimal and whatever products I do manage to use need to be quick and have a big impact. You might be surprised, but I’m a girl who can barely manage to properly towel dry her hair in below zero temperatures, so putting on makeup in the early morning is completely foreign to me. Wake up early for makeup? No way - I can barely wake up without snoozing at least 20 minutes as it is!

I’ve noticed that lately, there are a few go to products I reach for when my skin isn’t looking so great. (Ugh)  I hate to admit that while these products are great, I may actually be reaching for them because they’re easy to smoosh on while waiting at a red light while driving to work… (Oops)

Benefit Eye Bright is a pale lilac pencil that really lifts the droopy outer corners of my eyes. It takes a few seconds to apply and I was sold the second I saw Lisa Eldridge use it in a video. For the days when my skin needs a bit of coverage, I'm sure to grab the Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick to quickly even out my complexion or cover any redness. If I want a bit of eyeshadow, I tend to reach for the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Sticks.

If i have a little more time (ie 5 minutes at home rather than in a moving vehicle), I try to do a little more. Perhaps a bit of liner and mascara, but what I noticed really makes a difference is curled lashes. I'm a bit dodgy with conventional curlers so the Japonesque Heated Eyelash Curler is my friend, and if I can manage a bit of lip color too, I'm a happy girl. There's all sorts of lip colors in my bag but I seem to get lots of compliments when I throw on Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Mightiest Maraschino.  It is an easy, creamy formula I don't have to be too careful about and it really looks like I made an effort. (Sneaky!) 

So there you have it - my 5 minute and 5 product face that I've been relying on these last few months! What products do you reach for when you have no time to spare? I'd love to know your tips for looking totally put together when you're really not... :)

Love/Hate: Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask

You may have noticed that I'm a bit of a lip balm hoarder, so when I saw Bite Beauty's Agave Lip Mask on Sephora.com at the beginning of January, I ran to place my order. I have to say that while I quite like the product, and I can't think of a time that I've hated a product's packaging more. 

My order arrived the day "Chiberia" was coined, so I thought perhaps this lip balm was frozen. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Ugh. The packaging is just incredibly hard and inflexible. Over the last month or so, I seriously struggled to squeeze product out of this tube, so much so that I didn't even really want to use it. What can I say, I am lazy. Fortunately, rolling the tube up from the bottom really helped to solve this issue with the packaging. I can squeeze out product by applying only a small amount of pressure! 

Also worth noting, I was dumb and didn't realize that the cap is the tool to open the seal on the product. For those of you that don't know, once you unscrew the cap, turn it upside down and place it over the opening. The little pokey thing inside the cap will puncture the seal! Don't be dumb like me and stab the seal with a pen. (LOL) 

Packaging rant aside, I really love the thick texture of this. It lasts all night, but even wears well during the day. I love how it heals the peely bits on my lips, but what really impressed me is the color they bring to my lips. It makes them a cute pinky shade that I just love, rather than the dead purplish tones they usually have when my lips are extremely dry. Well, perhaps "dead purplish tones" is a bit of an exaggeration, but my lips tend to be super mauve in tone and very faded looking. I much prefer how this brings life back into my lips and gives them a cheery light pink tone! 

I contemplated returning this purely because I hated the packaging, but after discovering that rolling the tube helps make it less difficult to squeeze, I've decided to keep it. I enjoy the formula, especially for night time. I wouldn't purchase it again unless they upgrade the packaging, and think those of you who have plenty of high end balms or options you love don't need to rush out for this. However, if you don't have a vast lip balm stash and are looking for something very thick and hydrating, this is worth considering!

What do you think of Bite Beauty's Agave Lip Mask? Have you tried it, or is the packaging making you want to steer clear? I'd love to know what you think! 

Goldfaden MD Hands to Heart

I'm kind of obsessing over hand cream lately, in particular this lovely stuff from Goldfaden and an almost impulsive purchase from Aesop. (More on that soon) 

*PR Sample, Affiliate Link

Anyways, this hand cream is brilliant. Check out the description from Space NK - I think the mix of ingredients is really what keeps my hands from looking scaly/ashy on a daily basis. 

Anti Aging Plus Brightening Hand Treatment
Dr. Goldfaden's progressive hand treatment is a true multi-tasker. Developed to address the unique needs of the hands, this rich, yet fast absorbing cream helps fade dark spots and reduces the appearance of fine lines while instantly smoothing and plumping skin. Breakthrough anti-aging ingredients CoQ10, Niacinimide, Glucosamine, Retinol and potent Hyaluronic Acid work to provide skin with a more youthful appearance leaving hands nourished, protected and supple.

Now I would love anything that keeps my hands from looking shriveled and terrible, but this hand cream has a light citrus scent that seriously wins me over. Plus, the cream feels silky and soft on my hands, and I can get right back to work. Seriously, this may be the fastest absorbing non greasy hand cream I've tried. Even a handful of non beauty obsessed coworkers will come by and ask to use this! 

I know I'll be sad when this runs out, but I know I will definitely be repurchasing this. At $38, it is perhaps the most I'll spend on hand cream so far in my life, but the tube is nearly 3 ounces and I'm in love...

If you want to get your hands on Hands to Heart, this month, Goldfaden MD will donate 10% of sales of this lovely hand cream to The American Heart Association. With the Space NK gift with purchase event going on today, I think this is the perfect time to pick this up! 

Have you tried this or any other product from Goldfaden MD? What has been your favorite hand cream this winter? I'd love to know!

Space NK Spring Beauty Edit Event & Gift with Purchase!

Last week, I shared a sneak peek of the upcoming gift with purchase during Space NK’s Spring Beauty Edit event. Look at this amazing gift! All yours with a $250 purchase online or in stores tomorrow, Wednesday, February 19. Those of you near a Space NK store also have the opportunity to book a makeover or skincare consultation, and typically each store will have representatives from certain brands at these events. 

*PR Sample, Affiliate Link

I won’t be able to attend the event in store, but I am thrilled to have received the gift with purchase bag from Space NK. This gift is seriously heavy - the box it came in weighed six pounds! 

The bag itself is a fun pouch that can definitely fit a lot of products. It isn’t a flat pouch, which is good for carrying skincare and the like. It is made out of a sturdy nylon material, and can also fit an iPad and its accessories. I was hoping to fit my 11inch Macbook Air in there, but it is not quite wide enough. :) In any event, I love using the tote bag from the fall event for shopping, so I’m sure this one will be really handy for traveling and containing stuff in general.  

Since I have the gift with purchase in hand, I thought I would share with you the deluxe samples that I’m particularly excited about! 

Kevyn Aucoin The Essential Mascara
Gummy recently posted about her experience with the volume mascara, and I am itching to see if this mascara is anywhere near as good as the one she has. Now I just need to finish those other mascara sample tubes I opened…! 

African Botanics Marula Neroli Infused Oil
I’ve been eyeing this variation of African Botanics Marula Oil since I discovered the line in Space NK last May. I know I love the citrusy scent and I haven’t met an African Botanics product that I didn’t just love to pieces. Needless to say, I'm dying to try this!

Goldfaden Bright Eyes
I’ve been totally loving a few things that Goldfaden sent me lately, namely their new Fresh-a-Peel (review) and their not at all greasy yet very moisturizing Hands to Heart hand cream. I’m definitively nearing the “late” bit of being in my mid-to-late 20s, and I just have to get eye cream into my routine consistently, so I am pretty excited to give this a try.

Sunday Riley Artemis
This somewhat new lemon-y oil from Sunday Riley smells a little nicer to me than Juno, and given my love for oils I hope this one doesn’t disappoint. It is intended to be balancing and detoxifying, which sounds pretty wonderful to me! 

Diptyque Volutes 
I never thought Volutes was the scent for me, being as it is a bit rich and spicy, but after my BFF gifted me a little sample tube in my massive belated Christmas gift earlier this month, the scent is growing on me. Given my extremely picky fragrance preferences, I’m thrilled to have such a generous sample size to give this scent another go.

Zelens Transformer Instant Renewal Mask & Radical Youth Infusion Serum
I try to ignore both of these brands due to their price tags, so seeing these two goodies meant for refreshing and hydrating the skin is quite exciting. I’m sure I could never splurge on either of these even if they were miraculous, so I will be sure to savor every last drop!

So, I think you may have some shopping to do. ;) It is the perfect time to pick up some Hourglass, Oribe, African Botanics and Diptyque! Will you be indulging in the Space NK Spring Beauty Edit event? I’d love to know what’s on your wish list!